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MN Poll in 2006
Background During the 12-day run of the Minnesota State Fair, 6,580 fairgoers took the poll conducted by the nonpartisan House Public Information Services office. It is an informal, unscientific survey on a number of issues discussed in prior legislative sessions and may again be topics of discussion. Transportation Approximately two-thirds of those participating in the 2006 House of Representatives State Fair Poll plan to support the state constitutional amendment, on the November 2006 ballot, to dedicate all funds from the state motor vehicle sales tax to transportation purposes. Less than one in five plans to vote no, and 15.5 percent are undecided or have no opinion. According to the Department of Transportation, tax revenues are now deposited in the state’s General Fund. Approximately 54 percent is distributed, by statute, to highways and transit. While a majority of polltakers plan to vote for the constitutional amendment, 52.4 percent do not support a 10-cent per gallon increase in the state gasoline tax to fund transportation improvements. A little more than 41 percent said yes. Voters strongly support * a statewide smoking ban in bars and restaurants. * that pharmacists should not be permitted to refuse to fill a prescription because of ethical, moral or religious reasons; * that farmers should notify adjacent landowners of the chemicals they plan to use on their fields and when an application will be performed; and * that graduates in dentistry, family practice medicine or pharmacy should receive some type of incentive, such as housing assistance or lower student loan repayment rates, to practice for at least three years in Greater Minnesota. Slightly more than half of voters support * the exemption of veterans’ military pensions from state income taxes, * the imposition of a health-impact fee on alcoholic drinks to help defray alcohol related costs to the state, and * they believe that drivers under age 18 should be restricted on the number of passengers under age 21 in the vehicle. Two education questions were met unfavorably by the majority of polltakers: * 57 percent believe that immigrant students who are not legalized citizens should not be permitted to pay the less-expensive resident tuition at public colleges or universities; * while 46.7 percent do not believe that Minnesota’s school year should be expanded with students given a shorter summer vacation and longer breaks during the year, 41.3 percent would like it expanded and 12 percent are undecided. Stadiums Even though the 2006 Legislature approved stadium funding plans for the Minnesota Twins and University of Minnesota, 51.6 percent of those that took the poll do not believe legislators should vote in 2007 on an Anoka County stadium plan to house the Vikings. Approximately 37 percent said a vote should occur. Summary 1. Do you support the proposed state constitutional amendment, to be voted on this November, to dedicate all funds from the state Motor Vehicle Sales Tax to transportation purposes? Yes...................................................66.2%...................(4,320) No....................................................18.2%...................(1,188) Undecided/No Opinion...................15.5%...................(1,014) 2. Should Minnesota’s school year be expanded, with students given a shorter summer vacation and longer breaks during the school year? Yes...................................................41.3%...................(2,699) No....................................................46.7%...................(3,055) Undecided/No Opinion...................12%.........................(782) 3. Should legislators vote in 2007 on an Anoka County stadium to house the Minnesota Vikings? Yes...................................................37.4%...................(2,434) No....................................................51.6%...................(3,361) Undecided/No Opinion...................11%.........................(717) 4. Should pharmacists have the option to refuse filling a prescription if they have an ethical, moral or religious objection to a prescribed drug or device? Yes...................................................21.5%...................(1,407) No....................................................75.2%...................(4,917) Undecided/No Opinion...................3.3%........................(217) 5. A number of Minnesota cities have banned smoking in bars and restaurants. Do you support a statewide ban? Yes...................................................71.7%...................(4,692) No....................................................25.9%...................(1,697) Undecided/No Opinion...................2.4%........................(158) 6. In general, do you support a health impact fee on alcoholic drinks to help offset alcohol-related costs to the state, such as health and safety? Yes...................................................55.8%...................(3,639) No....................................................36.8%...................(2,401) Undecided/No Opinion...................7.4%........................(481) 7. Should drivers under the age of 18 be restricted from having more than one passenger under the age of 21, except for immediate family members, in the vehicle? Yes...................................................52.4%...................(3,416) No....................................................38.6%...................(2,519) Undecided/No Opinion...................9%...........................(585) 8. Would you support a 10-cent per gallon increase in the state gasoline tax to fund transportation improvements? Yes...................................................41.1%...................(2,682) No....................................................52.4%...................(3,419) Undecided/No Opinion...................6.5%........................(423) 9. When farmers intend to use pesticides and fertilizers on their fields, should they be required to notify adjacent landowners of the chemicals they plan to use and when they plan to do the application? Yes...................................................67.8%...................(4,419) No....................................................22.2%...................(1,443) Undecided/No Opinion...................10%.........................(652) 10. Immigrant students who are not legalized citizens and graduate from a Minnesota high school must pay non-resident tuition at most Minnesota public colleges and universities. Should they be permitted to pay the less expensive resident tuition? Yes...................................................35.7%...................(2,331) No....................................................57%......................(3,721) Undecided/No Opinion...................7.2%........................(469) 11. Should new graduates in dentistry, family practice medicine or pharmacy receive some kind of incentive, such as housing assistance or lower student loan repayment rates, to practice in Greater Minnesota for at least three years? Yes...................................................67%......................(4,369) No....................................................22.6%...................(1,477) Undecided/No Opinion...................10.4%......................(676) 12. Should veterans’ military pensions be exempt from state income taxes? Yes...................................................57.8%...................(3,774) No....................................................30.6%...................(2,000) Undecided/No Opinion...................11.6%......................(755) Note: All percentages are rounded to the nearest one-tenth. Totals are for those that actually voted on the question. The Minnesota House of Representatives’ survey is informal and unscientific. It is simply a measurement of the opinions expressed by those who took the time to complete the poll while visiting our booth at the fair. Our main purpose in conducting this opinion poll is to familiarize fairgoers with some of the issues that have recently been discussed by the Legislature and issues that may be debated during the 2007 legislative session.